[Elecraft] KAT500 Auto or Manual

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Kev:

What you have been doing is fine! Many operators "train" their KAT500 as Don
described, tuning at least once in each segment across all the bands you use
so the KPA500 will memorize the L and C settings. That avoids being
surprised by an "auto-tune" occurring after a quick QSY while running
contests, etc. 

The number of memory segments vary according to band as follows:

Below 3 MHz the segments are 10 kHz wide.
>From 3 MHz through 26 MHz the segments are 20 kHz wide.
>From 26 MHz to 38 MHz the segments are 100 kHz wide.
>From 38 MHz to 60 MHz the segments are 200 kHz wide.

Normally you won't need to do a TUNE in every segment. That depends upon how
fast the SWR changes with frequency with your antennas. 

Once the KAT500 memories are loaded across the bands you use it will not
need to retune. I leave mine in AUTO knowing that if I'm ever surprised by a
tune sequence starting, it's because something has gone wrong with the
antenna or antenna switching that I need to know about immediately. In the
meantime, my QSO only has a short interruption and I can explain to the
other station what happened. 

Putting the KAT500 in MAN will mean that if anything goes wrong causing an
excessive SWR, your KAT500, KPA500 will fault or your the transceiver
driving it will shut down instead.

73, Ron AC7AC


-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Kevin der Kinderen
Sent: Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:41 AM
To: Elecraft Reflector Reflector
Subject: [Elecraft] KAT500 Auto or Manual

Hi:

... I got comment about how I run my KAT500: "KAT500 - We normally leave the
KAT in the MAN position, not AUTO. With varying SWR, the KAT will tune while
in transmit when in the AUTO position."

I'm not quite sure what that to make of that. I have my KAT500 in the AUTO
position thinking it's a good thing that the KAT will tune if something
happens... which it never does. But in AUTO, at least the tuner will retune
if I jump to a frequency that is not in memory.

In MAN mode, I have to initiate tuning myself. Why would I not want to let
the auto-tuner auto tune?

73,
Kev K4VD
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